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Growing my own despite being disabled

• Message 1. 

  Posted by JohannaA (U15220024) on Saturday, 7th April 2012

  Having been fed up with what our society is doing to our food plus the carbon footprints we keep leaving I made up my mind to convert my garden that is quite large and despite being disabled I felt I could do it. It has been a nightmare.
  1 st. my neighbour despite objecting to the planning permission, put my greenhouse into the dark as the building he built cut off the sun directly from it. He does not live there just rents it out and breaks every law possible a constant battle.
  2 nd. I have chickens I built their house and run securely myself as I couls not find a reasonably priced one anywhere. I would like to do the Alys Flowers idea and let them run free, but I have been plagued by the neighbours tenants first they stole the eggs so had to padlock the house because of the type of people it would not be impossible for a hen ending up as Sunday lunch so penned they are. They are however well worth it a constant supply of fresh eggs that my grand daughter loves and great manure.
  3 rd I seem to make a lot of mistakes that is a constant learning curve between planting the wrong things in the wrong places or too much and bug lunching out if they get half a chance.
  
  My best disaster was putting up wires for my fruit and catching my hair in the drill, what a bruise as the drill hit my head at high speed.
  I have at last finished raising my veg beds this year and got the garden under a measure of control.
  I read a lot but my memory retention is poor because of my illness so I struggle to absorb it all and I do not have any friends that are keen fruit and veg gardeners. I am being seen as a bit quirky.
  I wish there was a simple way of someone explaining my particular garden where and when to plant and simple rotation in a smallish space. Also how to best manage my time as I live alone and work. Also so that I can get a constant supply of veg and store leftovers.
  My grand daughter is taking an interest in growing although she has from very small loved granny,s eggs. I would love to involve her more and teach her.
  
  My biggest worry is going to be if we get a hose pipe ban because I cant carry a watering can very far although I do save and use as much kitchen water and rain water as possible. My veg garden is just too far from the house its painful but rain dancing is an option.
  
  I cant be the only one with so many problems with no one to learn from. It makes me realise how mass production has changed our lives and how many chemicals they must use.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by As-If (U15116884) on Saturday, 7th April 2012

  Hello Joanna
  You ask for a simple explanation of crop rotation for your veg garden, here is a very simple way to remember it.
  Memorise this sentence:
  
  "People..... Love.......... Bunches...... Of..... Roses."
  
  It means
  
  "Potatoes... Legumes..... Brassicas,,,,, Onions... Roots."
  
  While you are learning, you won`t go far wrong with that simple rotation.

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by JohannaA (U15220024) on Saturday, 7th April 2012

  Thank you but I've got in such a muddle, especially as in my garden for some reason nothing to do with the ground likes certain places may be the sun or damper I have no idea. Not to mention the chickens like the shade of the runner beans when its hot.
  

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by As-If (U15116884) on Saturday, 7th April 2012

  Ideally, your veg plot needs to be in an open spot, with blue sky above it.

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Global_Worming (U14532104) on Saturday, 7th April 2012

  Disabled people are exempt from the hose pipe ban.
  

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by grinling (U11581911) on Saturday, 7th April 2012

  Dr Hessayon has a great book on allotments, which tells you when/where/storing veg. Also one for fruit.
  If you have a blue badge you may water, but check your water company online.
  If you have problems with tennants next door contact the letting agents, though sometimes they are not helpful; has you neighbour built within his planning consent.
  Look at landshare website, someone might be local who can help as well as allotment.org, they give great advice for chickens owners.

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by JohannaA (U15220024) on Saturday, 7th April 2012

  Don't get me started on the building one. He got permission on a second try to build a garage with occasional rooms, which someone on the council supported him even though he does not live in the property. He actually built a one bedroom house with completely separate services. The services were installed without the necessary licence or public liability insurance he has never been charged. I tried to get it stopped as he broke boundary regulations and was building on my property but they said it was only about 6 inches and I couldn't afford to do anything about it. I regularly had the police up for inappropriate threatening behaviour from his builders. Couldn't even access my garage and nor could anyone else during the day. They trespassed on my property wrecked my greenhouse roof wrecked plants with cement and other debris. When it was built he rented it out separate to the main house and we forced the local council to remove them, and six months later he is doing it again as of last week. I have been told he has friends on the council and he works for them somewhere. Not to mention its an ugly out of place eye-saw.
  Its all down to money he has plenty and can afford to do as he likes and I scrape by and cant afford to take him on.
  
  I have lived in my house 30 years and got on with my neighbours. My greenhouse was a beautiful sunny air conditioned building with tomatoes, cuecumbers, aubergines etc. now its dark and not very warm. That was what encouraged me to change my garden some 5 years ago my children grew up and left home no longer needing the garden it was ideal and as I am disabled its taken a lot of painful work to get it under control. The poor soil was the most difficult to change a lot of stones improved with a lot of home made and bought compost and removing of stones, not to mention patience.
  
  I am not a quitter if he breaks the law too many times they will pull it down Im told but I wont hold my breath, but I will make the best of it all and bide my time.
  
  I tried the tennants angle before the letting agent was not interested even when there were10 adults and two children in a 3 bedroom terraced house he just increased the rent. Even social workers weren't interested apparently it was their normal culture.
  
  Books sounds good I'll have a look in the library. I would like an allotment but they are difficult to come by and where I live even though its a nice area there has been problems with both teenagers and theft. Guess I'll have to win the lotery. Ha ha.

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by grinling (U11581911) on Sunday, 8th April 2012

  I wish you well, I had problems with neighbours, but I am a landlord myself now with 2 fab tennants, try the local MP they sometimes help.
  Good luck.

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